The gas price burden: Where gas prices hit the hardest

The average price of regular unleaded gasoline in California has topped $6 per gallon. However, while gas prices are posted by the gallon, they're felt by the paycheck, and a tank of gas does not hit every household budget the same way. The same fill-up can be a minor errand in one area and a meaningful bite out of weekly income in another. With summer travel season approaching, the real pressure at the pump depends not only on gas prices, but on how much room residents have in their budgets to absorb them.

SmartAsset analyzed gasoline prices to determine the gas-price burden in each state, or the price residents effectively experience after accounting for household income. The analysis measured the cost of a standard 15-gallon tank of gas as a percentage of each state's estimated median weekly household income. SmartAsset also calculated how much of a full-time minimum wage worker's weekly paycheck would be needed to buy a 15-gallon tank of gas in each state.

Key Findings

• Gasoline prices hit hardest in West Virginia. Although West Virginia ranks No. 27 in pump price of gasoline at $4.30 per gallon, it ranks No. 1 in the share of median weekly household income needed to buy a 15-gallon tank of gas. In West Virginia, a 15-gallon fill-up costs 5.23% of the median weekly household income. West Virginia is followed by Ohio and Michigan.
• Minimum wage workers in Indiana can expect to pay one-quarter of weekly income on a fill-up. Among full-time workers earning minimum wage, Indiana drivers face the nation's highest gasoline price burden: 24.97% of weekly income.
• Cheap gas does not guarantee affordability. Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma all have pump prices below $4.00 per gallon, yet each ranks among the 15 states where a tank of gas takes the largest share of median weekly household income.
• High pump prices do not always translate into high price burden: Although California, Hawai‘i and Washington have the nation's highest pump prices for gasoline, none rank among the top 10 for gas-price burden.

Where Gas Prices Hit Hardest

States are ranked by the cost of a 15-gallon gasoline fill-up as a percentage of each state's estimated median weekly household income. The table also shows the cost of a 15-gallon fill-up as a percentage of weekly pay for a full-time worker earning the state minimum wage.

States Ranked

1. West Virginia

• Gas price: $4.30 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 5.23% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 18.43% of weekly minimum wage

2. Ohio

• Gas price: $4.89 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 5% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 16.65% of weekly minimum wage

3. Michigan

• Gas price: $4.87 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.97% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 13.30% of weekly minimum wage

4. Indiana

• Gas price: $4.83 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.96% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 24.97% of weekly minimum wage

5. Mississippi

• Gas price: $3.88 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.86% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 20.08% of weekly minimum wage

6. Kentucky

• Gas price: $4.22 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.83% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 21.82% of weekly minimum wage

7. Louisiana

• Gas price: $3.90 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.73% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 20.16% of weekly minimum wage

8. Nevada

• Gas price: $5.17 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.71% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 16.15% of weekly minimum wage

9. Arkansas

• Gas price: $3.88 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.62% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 13.23% of weekly minimum wage

10. Oregon

• Gas price: $5.25 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.56% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 13.09% of weekly minimum wage

11. New Mexico

• Gas price: $4.16 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.54% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 13.01% of weekly minimum wage

12. California

• Gas price: $6.10 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.51% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 13.54% of weekly minimum wage

13. Alabama

• Gas price: $3.96 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.39% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 20.48% of weekly minimum wage

14. Illinois

• Gas price: $4.93 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.38% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 12.33% of weekly minimum wage

15. Oklahoma

• Gas price: $3.89 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.34% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 20.10% of weekly minimum wage

16. Pennsylvania

• Gas price: $4.52 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.31% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 23.38% of weekly minimum wage

17. Arizona

• Gas price: $4.74 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.30% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 11.73% of weekly minimum wage

18. Maine

• Gas price: $4.40 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.26% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 10.93% of weekly minimum wage

19. Montana

• Gas price: $4.32 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.24% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 14.94% of weekly minimum wage

20. Washington

• Gas price: $5.67 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.22% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 12.40% of weekly minimum wage

21. Wyoming

• Gas price: $4.30 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.21% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 22.23% of weekly minimum wage

22. Wisconsin

• Gas price: $4.37 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.17% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 22.61% of weekly minimum wage

23. Hawai‘i

• Gas price: $5.63 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.14% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 13.20% of weekly minimum wage

24. Florida

• Gas price: $4.34 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.13% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 11.63% of weekly minimum wage

25. Missouri

• Gas price: $3.97 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.10% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 9.93% of weekly minimum wage

26. Tennessee

• Gas price: $3.99 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.10% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 20.66% of weekly minimum wage

27. South Carolina

• Gas price: $4.00 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.09% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 20.70% of weekly minimum wage

28. North Carolina

• Gas price: $4.08 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.08% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 21.09% of weekly minimum wage

29. Idaho

• Gas price: $4.46 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 4.06% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 23.04% of weekly minimum wage

30. Vermont

• Gas price: $4.42 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.95% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 11.48% of weekly minimum wage

31. South Dakota

• Gas price: $4.06 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.91% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 12.86% of weekly minimum wage

32. Alaska

• Gas price: $5.04 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.89% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 14.53% of weekly minimum wage

33. Rhode Island

• Gas price: $4.38 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.88% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 10.95% of weekly minimum wage

34. Kansas

• Gas price: $3.96 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.88% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 20.47% of weekly minimum wage

35. Iowa

• Gas price: $3.95 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.87% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 20.43% of weekly minimum wage

36. New York

• Gas price: $4.45 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.84% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 10.44% of weekly minimum wage

37. Nebraska

• Gas price: $3.96 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.84% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 9.91% of weekly minimum wage

38. North Dakota

• Gas price: $3.99 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.79% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 20.66% of weekly minimum wage

39. Texas

• Gas price: $3.92 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.63% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 20.26% of weekly minimum wage

40. Georgia

• Gas price: $3.85 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.56% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 19.92% of weekly minimum wage

41. Delaware

• Gas price: $4.21 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.55% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 10.52% of weekly minimum wage

42. Connecticut

• Gas price: $4.52 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.48% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 10% of weekly minimum wage

43. Minnesota

• Gas price: $4.05 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.44% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 13.31% of weekly minimum wage

44. Colorado

• Gas price: $4.44 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.38% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 10.98% of weekly minimum wage

45. Utah

• Gas price: $4.39 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.36% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 22.71% of weekly minimum wage

46. Virginia

• Gas price: $4.17 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.35% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 12.25% of weekly minimum wage

47. New Hampshire

• Gas price: $4.34 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.22% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 22.46% of weekly minimum wage

48. New Jersey

• Gas price: $4.42 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.13% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 10.40% of weekly minimum wage

49. Maryland

• Gas price: $4.27 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.07% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 10.68% of weekly minimum wage

50. Massachusetts

• Gas price: $4.34 per gallon
• Fill-up cost: 3.06% of median weekly household income
• Fill-up cost: 10.85% of weekly minimum wage

Methodology

The average retail gasoline price for each of the 50 states, reported by AAA as of May 3, 2026, was compared with the estimated current median household income and each state's minimum wage. The estimated current median household income was calculated by adjusting each state's 2024 median household income from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 1-year estimates using growth in the Employment Cost Index for private-industry wages and salaries from the 2024 annual average through the first quarter of 2026. The estimated annual median household income was divided by 52, and the minimum wage, as recorded by the U.S. Department of Labor, was multiplied by 40, to express the cost of a 15-gallon fill-up as a share of weekly income. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.

This story was produced by SmartAsset and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Copyright 2026 Stacker Media, LLC

This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 9:30 AM.